15. June
June
I’m living in a house with three men I want nothing more than to fuck on a regular—unattached—basis, and yet, I’m not supposed to be sleeping with any of them.
“June, did you hear me?” Dominic snaps his fingers in front of my face.
The same ones that were knuckle deep in my pussy last night in the employee bathroom at Jack’s bar.
“Yeah, I get it. No banging each other.” I point between them. “Does this count for you guys, too?” Partially sarcasm, but one can never be too sure.
“No one, and I repeat, no one,” Dominic looks to all of us. “Is exchanging bodily fluid in this house.”
“But what about?—”
Dom cuts Magnus off mid-sentence. “But nothing.”
Magnus crinkles his brows. “I was going to say sharing drinks.”
Dom’s jaw tightens, something he does regularly when he’s annoyed. Or frustrated. Or pretty much experiencing any emotion. “You know what I mean.”
Is he trying to convince himself or us? Because I’m pretty sure he was a willing participant in last night's shenanigans. And if what he’s attempting to enforce is true, does that mean it’s okay for me and him to fuck, but not the rest of the guys?
That’s going to be a hard no from me.
It’s all or nothing.
Although, despite wanting to strangle Coen for leaving me all those years ago, I’d still like to see if we still have the same insane chemistry we did when we were kids.
We never did have sex, even though I wanted to.
He was always wary and wanted to make sure we waited until I was older and could think more rationally about such a big decision.
Little did we know, we didn’t have the luxury of time on that one, and instead, I lost my v-card to some loser I didn’t care about when I was fifteen, starting off my sex life with a one-minute interaction that resulted in minimal pleasure on my behalf.
Not to mention a sexual hunger that was awoken and pretty much has been insatiable since then.
I’ve fucked Dom twice and Magnus once, and despite them being the best I’ve ever had, there’s still something missing.
It’s not like I could choose just one of them anyway, nor would I want to.
I’m not a solo partner kind of person. I’d never be satisfied tied down and I refuse to settle for anything I don’t want.
So, for now, I’ll stay in this house, and have sex with whichever will screw me, even if it’s a secret from the rest of them.
What they don’t know won’t hurt them.
“Fine, no fucking. What’s next?” Magnus sips his coffee and takes a bite of his bagel.
Something about the way his tattooed arm makes his shirt bulge sends a fire straight between my legs.
I stop myself from gnawing my lip and staring too hard.
I had a world-class orgasm yesterday and somehow, I’m roaring for more.
I unlock my phone, swiping through my apps until I find the one I’m looking for.
The screen alerts me that there’s only one day left until my period starts, explaining why I’m in ultra-horny mode.
Dom’s device buzzes but he ignores it. “I think now would be an appropriate time to fill June in on the severity of the situation.”
Coen lowers his mug onto the counter, a bit harder than normal. “Is that really necessary?”
I glance over at him. “What’s your problem, Co? You don’t trust me?”
His blue gaze settles on me. “Has nothing to do with you, J.”
“Then what?” I point to the other two men. “Magnus and Dom have no issue telling me the truth. You’re the only one who refuses.”
“It’s for good reason,” Dominic adds in Coen’s defense. “I was hesitant, too.”
“What changed your mind?” I ask him.
“Your safety is our main concern.” Dom’s phone vibrates again. “And we can’t ensure that if you aren’t aware of a few aspects of what’s going on.”
“What, like that you’re in the mafia?” I let out a laugh but none of them join in on the humor.
Instead, their faces show a mixture of surprise and shock, none of them saying anything.
“Oh,” I glance at Magnus. “You weren’t joking.”
Honestly, it makes sense. How else would the three of them have everything that they do?
Between the mansion, the private security, their expensive taste in booze, and pretty much everything else, along with the other details I’ve picked up on but haven’t paid much attention to.
They have enemies, they disappear at all hours of the day and night, not to mention my very first close encounter with Dominic.
What else was I expecting? Him to be a teacher or something?
They’re incredibly secretive and if my declaration was true, it’s for good reason.
It’s not like you can go around telling everyone you’re in a dangerous and hella illegal line of work.
I shrug. “Okay, and?” Because that can’t be the whole big reveal. Obviously, it’s nothing to discount, but there is clearly another layer to this mystery I’ve yet to unravel.
“I fucking told you.” Magnus smacks Coen’s arm and glares at Dominic.
“Told who what?” I give Magnus my attention.
“That you wouldn’t freak out.”
“It’s going to take a little more than that to surprise me.”
Coen drops his head into his hands, his elbows planted on the counter. “I can’t fucking believe this,” he mutters.
I ignore him and repeat my question. “But really, what’s actually happening?”
“We’re at war,” Magnus speaks up.
Dom raises his hand to cut Magnus off. “Yes, what he’s saying is true. There’s been a shift in management, and we are set to take over the operation. We’re getting some pushback from rivals who wish to hijack that control, meaning everyone in contact with us is essentially at risk.”
I nod at him to continue and bring my mug to my lips, drawing in a mouthful of the strong coffee courtesy of Magnus.
“Our enemies have deemed you a weakness, and will use that to their advantage to throw us off and gain the upper hand.”
“That explains what that guy said,” I recall the evening of my kidnapping.
Coen speaks up, his stare locked onto me. “What was it?”
“Something about choosing the wrong side.”
“One of Beckett’s minions,” Coen tells us.
“What’s a Beckett?” I bite off a chunk of the remaining bacon strip on my plate, chewing it and waiting for one of them to tell me.
“Not what, who.” Magnus comes to my rescue. “Simon Beckett. The leader of the group, trying to overthrow us.”
“Ohh.” I piece the puzzle together in my head, a part of it not making sense. “What happened to the previous leader?”
“Dead.” The three of them say in unison.
Dominic shifts his posture. “I’ve been training with him for most of my life, as his main advisor, to take over when he retired.
The transition was supposed to be seamless.
Turns out, he fell before that happened, rather abruptly.
His wife has been overseeing most operations since his death, but she wants out.
” His shoulders tense. “I should have been the obvious benefactor, but Beckett has made it a point to rally troops to claim the throne for himself.”
It’s amazing how much they’ll confess once they get started. A second ago, they were too tense to say a word, now they’re answering every question I toss their way.
“Hence the war.”
I spin my mug back and forth on the counter. “So, you’re not just in the mafia, you are the mafia. Okay, okay. Boss dies, you take over, Simon won’t allow it.” Suddenly, an idea dawns on me. “Why not just kill him then?”
Did I really just suggest murdering a man to eliminate their problems? And not be bothered by it at all?
“Don’t you think we would have done that if it were that simple?” Coen runs his hand through his blonde hair.
I look at him, finally take him in. The soft features that have been hardened over time.
The sweet, innocent boy who is now haunted by a constant darkness I only now noticed.
Is this why he never came for me? Was this new life of his more important than the promises we made to each other that summer?
I shake my head to rid myself of the thought.
What’s done is done, there’s no going back and changing the past. And if I could, would I even want to?
“What Hayes is saying,” Magnus chimes in. “Is that the situation is a bit more complicated. We can’t kill Beckett for the same reasons he can’t kill us. We’re protected, we’re smart, and we’re dangerous. As is he. Well, for the most part.”
Dominic clears his throat. “It’s all about strategy. Getting his men to turn on him, sabotaging his efforts, making him look like a bad choice.”
“Choice?”
Dom nods. “Yes. The wife that took over, gets the final say on who she wants to hand the reins over to.”
“That’s fucking stupid.”
He shrugs. “I don’t make the rules.”
“Then why follow them?”
His phone goes off once more, this time pulling his attention from my face. His expression gives nothing away to what the notification might say. It could have been anything from a winning lottery ticket to a death in the family and I’d have no idea.
“You good?” Magnus asks him.
“I need to go.” Dom shoves the thing into his pocket.
I glance at the clock. “Me too.”
“No,” Dom basically growls.
“Excuse me?” I climb off the chair and grab my plate. “I have work.”
“You had work last night.” He steadies his gaze on me.
“And this morning, and afternoon, and tonight. Well, after my first one today, I’ll be job hunting, then I’ll be at the bar again. Get with the program.”
“That’s unacceptable.”
I slide my dish into the sink and stroll around the counter, slapping Dominic on the back on my way around him. “Good talk.” I continue toward the stairs, turning around and glancing between the three men staring in my direction. “Which of you are escorting me?”
They look at each other, their expressions lined with surprise.
“I will.” Magnus beams and raises his hand.
I had a hunch it would be him, considering Dom has other plans, and Coen gives off vibes like I’m a ticking time bomb. He’s playing a solid game of hot potato and he refuses to lose.